


Omne Trium Perfectum

by Multifandom_damnation



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Discrimination, Execution, Familiars, First Meetings, Gen, Loneliness, Loss of Identity, Loss of Parent(s), Mental Breakdown, Mental Institutions, Pre-Canon, Racism, Recovered Memories, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 13:15:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16811359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multifandom_damnation/pseuds/Multifandom_damnation
Summary: Every three is perfect.A tale of how one became two became three.





	Omne Trium Perfectum

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is not really how it all went down but I was taking inspiration from what Liam and Sam said on Talks and some background that's been spoken about on the stream. 
> 
> Also, the last part may be a little wrong because we only heard about it from Nott's perspective during the stream but I was writing this story in Caleb's perspective so I changed it up a bit. Let me know what you think x

**1.**

The receding grips of hysteria still clawed at the edges of his mind as Caleb ran for his life towards the forest, the asylum behind him turning into a tiny speck in the distance. He collapsed behind a tree and panted as quietly as he could in case any of the guards or healers were out searching for him, but after an hour of waiting in fear, nobody came.

For the first time in many years, there was nothing but silence in his mind. His jumbled thoughts were his own once again and they were neatly placed and ordered how they should have been. He remembered a woman, a shy one who was the first person to smile at him and to touch him with kindness since he entered that awful place, and then he had clarity.

Thankfully, he had the foresight to grab his books from the storage room before he had run out, and he patted them to make sure they weren’t just his imagination, but the familiar weight was a comfort against his chest.

But as he took in the feeling of the wind on his face, the birds chirping in the branches above his head and the feeling of coarse dirt under his nails, Caleb finally realised that despite being free, he was also alone- nobody for company but his mind and his thoughts. That, despite everything, was not a reality he was prepared for- the asylum was filled with other inmates and faculty and his own thoughts rambled to the point where he always felt like there was another person living beside him in his head, but now there was silence and loneliness.

Sunrise began to shine over the crest of a mountain peak and Caleb sat for a moment with his back solidly against the tree as he watched the sky change from a dark, unforgiving black to a crisp bright blue. It suddenly occurred to him how long it had been since he had seen the sky through anything other than a tiny barred window every once in a while when they were allowed to the cafeteria for food. He could hear a stream somewhere off in the forest for the first time since he was placed in that cell, he felt the grit under his nail and caking his skin, and felt in desperate need of a nice long bath.

A wash would have to wait- a siren was being sounded back at the asylum as if only realising he was gone, and white lights began shining out across the forest he was hiding in. Taking a deep breath of clean air, Caleb gathered his meagre belongings and took off deeper into the forest before day could break.

**2.**

The last thing Caleb would ever have expected was to see a small orange Bengal cat curled in a ball and buried under layers of dirt in a grubby gutter. Slowly, Caleb crouched down beside it and held out his hand and was pleasantly surprised when the cat accepted the offering of his leftover crumbs from lunch.

Despite living in filth and squander, to Caleb the cat looked majestic and noble, it’s head held high and it’s back straight as it walked a circle around Caleb. “Hello there, little one.” Caleb chuckled as it batted its head against his hand. “What are you doing out here, all alone in the cold, huh?”

Its fur was dirty and shabby and matted in places with mud or blood or things Caleb didn’t even want to think about. Its nails were ruined slivers and its teeth were yellowed. He could see bones through the skin and wondered when the last time the poor cat had eaten. With enough love and care, Caleb knew the cat would grow into something wonderful and strong, and he knew that he was the one who could give it what it needed.

Purring, the cat climbed up Caleb’s leg and snuggled into his coat and by that point, Caleb had no hope of refusing. “Are you cold? Hungry? I’m sorry, I don’t have any more food for you, but maybe I could find some. Would you like to come with me, keep me company for a little while?”

Laughing at Frumpkin once he tilted his head, Caleb gingerly stood with the cat held securely in his arms. “Nobody wanted you either, eh? Well, a couple of outcasts like us, I’m sure we could figure something out together.”

Caleb gently lifted the cat up and placed it around his shoulders like a scarf and the orange Bengal instantly settled down and purred as it’s fur rubbed against the wool of Caleb’s coat. Reaching up, Caleb scratched the cat behind the ears. “I think I’ll name you Frumpkin, after my last cat. Would you like that? Would you like to come with me?”

Frumpkin licked Caleb’s hand and he took that as an agreement.

Not too long later, after he had found the proper spell and purchased enough equipment with the spare gold he had managed to collect, he bonded himself to Frumpkin and felt a sense of togetherness that he hadn’t felt since that fateful night back at a family home and a burning building.

“You and I, Frumpkin,” Caleb whispered one night in the cold, holding the cat up so they were face to face. “Were meant to be.”

**3.**

The guards shoved him into a cell and he landed heavily against the back wall, his face connecting against the brickwork. Once he gathers himself enough and falls heavily into a corner, he notices his cellmate, huddled with their head down and hidden between their legs. Small, is the first thing Caleb notices, small, green, big ears, sharp claws. He knows a goblin when he sees one, but is more surprised that the goblin is hiding away from him and not trying to kill him.

“Uh,” He began, cautious and suspicious. “Hello?”

Letting out a startled yelp, the young goblin tried to become one with the wall. “Please don’t hurt me no more. I didn’t do nothing, I swear. I won’t even look at you if you don’t want me to.” She hid her face behind her hair. Her voice was high-pitched and scratchy and Caleb noticed her hands shaking.

Caleb was taken aback by the turn of events. “I won’t hurt you. My name is Caleb. Caleb Widogast. What’s yours?”

“Nott,” She whispered back, slightly awed, “Why aren’t you trying to hurt me?”

“Why aren’t you trying to eat me?” Caleb asked back, and Nott blinked in confusion. “I mean, you’re obviously very hungry, and I know most goblins eat people when they’re desperate enough.”

Nott looked down, ashamed. “I’m not like most goblins.”

Smiling, Caleb reached a hand out towards her, the same way he did with Frumpkin all those years ago. To his relief, Nott did not pull away. “And I’m not like most people.” Nott shot him a shaky smile. “Tell me, Miss Nott, why are you in this horrible cell?”

“I got caught.” Nott admitted, shaking Caleb’s hand and sitting back against the wall, less bunched up that before. “They don’t like goblins ‘round these parts, so as soon as they saw me, they threw me in this shithole.”

“Well, that is too bad.” Caleb sighed. “I suppose we are both going to be stuck in here together for quite some while.”

“Not me,” the goblin lamented and rested her head against the back wall. “They’re going to execute me tomorrow. I guess this is my last day.”

Tutting, Caleb tried to get comfortable on the mass of uneven ground and rocks under him. “That’s a shame. You seem nice. I… haven’t had anyone be nice to me for quite a while.” Guards paced outside their cell and Caleb knew that it’s only just approaching dusk outside, even without any windows to see out of. A sudden spark of inspiration hit him. “Nott, if we get out of here, would you like to come with me?”

“Come with you?” Nott blinked before looking Caleb up and down with wide eyes. “I mean, maybe. But there’s no getting out of here, and I’m dead by tomorrow.”

Despite the severity of their situation, Caleb felt himself getting increasingly giddier and enthusiastic. “I must admit, I am not too fond of fire, but I doubt that there are any guards in this place who are also, _ja_?” Nott nodded slowly in confusion. “Do you think the guards would save us from a fire, or do you think they will just run away and leave us to burn?”

Scoffing, Nott stood in agitation, and Caleb saw for the first time how small she really was. “I mean, of course, they’ll leave us. We’re nothing to them. But how the fuck are we going to set a fire?”

Caleb could feel his hands shaking, both from enthusiasm and dread. Memories flashed through his mind’s eye of a small cottage burned to flames, a cart jammed against the door and frantic voices pleading from the inside. He knew what he must look like- caked in dirt, wild-eyed, messy and he knew that he reeked, but Nott didn't seem to think anything of that, and instead crept forward curiously. “I have a secret, Nott. I can do a little bit of magic, not much and it isn't very impressive, but I can set a small fire. It might be just enough to distract the guards and give us a way out of here."

“You’re afraid,” Nott observed quietly as she watched Caleb fiddle. “You don’t have to do anything for me if it scares you. Besides, I’m just a goblin.”

“It’s not just for you,” Caleb admitted. “I dislike being stuck in cages as much as the next person. So I will help you, Nott, and we can both get out of here together.” He frowned. “Only… I do not know how to unlock the door once the fire is set.”

Kicking the dirt, Nott sighed. “Normally I can do it, but they took all my tools.”

“What would you need?” Caleb asked. “To open it?”

“At least a little bit of wire but I’ve looked all over this place and I… holy fuck, why are your eyes glowing?”

The last of Nott’s sentence fell on deaf ears as Caleb swapped his senses with Frumpkin’s and through the cats eyes he watched orange paws dig through his magical supplies that were being guarded and watched tiny teeth pull out a long, thin wire. Snapping his fingers, the cat appeared in the room with them, and Nott yelped.

“This is Frumpkin.” Caleb explained as he took the wire out of his mouth. “He is my familiar. My uh... magical cat." He elaborated at Nott's confused look. Here- would this wire do?”

Nott took the wire gingerly in her smaller hands. “You have a cat? And his name is Frumpkin?"

“I do, _ja_.”

“And you can talk to him… telepathically?”

Caleb thought for a moment. “That’s very close. But very had to explain. How about I tell you all about it when we get out of here? Will that wire work?”

With narrowed eyes, Nott ran the wire together in her hands before she nodded. “Yeah, this will do. Say the word and I’ll have this door open by nightfall.”

By Caleb’s count, they had a few more hours until night truly fell and once he told Nott so, they both settled down quietly to await the solace of night, the wire hidden within Nott’s robes.

When the time came, Caleb reached his hand out through the bars so his fingers were touching the dry dust and weeds that stuck out from the stones, and Nott began unlocking the door. A spark flashed in Caleb’s fingers and the floor around them ignited, and they started screaming for help. As expected, the guards ran out of the prison and left them behind to burn, but together they made their way up to the storage room where they were keeping Caleb’s books and spell components and Nott’s crossbow and dented flask, and they ran out of the prison and up the hills until the prison was just a bright, burning bundle long gone behind them.

“Well,” Caleb panted once they had sat long enough together to gather their breath. “We work well together, Nott.”

“Fuck yeah we do.” Nott laughed and she punched Caleb lightly in the shoulder. He knew she meant it as a friendly gesture, so he didn’t mention how much he disliked touch, and how much it actually hurt. “I can’t believe we did it. Thanks so much for, you know, getting me out of there.”

“And thank you.” Caleb nodded to her. “I wouldn’t have gotten out if you hadn’t unlocked the door. We were both useful to each other in this situation.” He looked down at her through his eyelashes and watched her as she grinned at the burning building that was slowly dying down. He only made a flash fire, enough to make it seem worse than it was, and it was already fading. “You are small and I am weak, _ja_? We already know that we work well together. Would you like to accompany me and Frumpkin to the next town?”

Nott thought it over before she nodded with finality. “Yeah, I’d like that. Let’s do it.”

Together, they travelled into the unknown and eventually, they came to a town filled with dancing drunkards and young women handing out flowers. One town turned into two, then three, then four and five and six and eventually a whole year had passed.

Nott and Frumkin never left Caleb’s side.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my English teacher for accidentally giving me this idea.


End file.
